Dispensing-cabinet for paper towels, &amp;c.



E. A. HAMILTON. msmsmc CABINEI'FOR PAPER tqwus m.

APPLICATION FILED JUVLYZI' 1915.

1 169, 147. Patented Jan. 25. 1916.

w W mam y 1 INVEINTOR wwfligssgs BY AT'I'ORNEY as are not care.

ERNEST A.' HAMILTON, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SGO'lIT PAPER COMPANY, A CORPORATIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPENSING-CABINET FOR PAPER TQ'YWELS, 6w.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented J an. 25, 1916.

Original applipation filed-March 28, 1914, Serial No. 827,808. Divided and this application filed July 21, 1915. Serial No. 41,092.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Emvnsr A. IIAMIL'I'ON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Dispensing-Cabinets for Paper Towels, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to a new and useful improvement in dispensing cabinets for paper packages for toilet or towel purposes, and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 827,808, filed March 28, 1914.

My invention has for an object to provide a dispensing cabinet wherein the sheets of towel or toilet paper may be successively withdrawn from the holding receptacle or cabinet, the removal of one sheet automatically coacting with the next adjacent sheet so that the latter is partially withdrawn from the cabinet wherebyit in turn may be.

grasped and also removed when desired.

My invention consists of a dispensing or serving cabinet for paper towels, etc., 1n' which the body is arranged for permitting of its being charged with the towels and allowing of the withdrawal, one at a time by hand or otherwise, the bottom of the I cabinet being provided with aslotted opening through which the tab of the towel projects and by which the towel may be withdrawn, said opening being bounded on one side by a narrow support or shoulder to support one edge of the next lowermost towel and shaped to permit its tab to sag, and bounded on the other side by a horizontal shelf orbottom plate which supports the superposed towels and having a downwardly inclining portion the lower edge of which terminates in the side of the opening and adapted to operate as a support to the bottom-most towel to hold it in inclined position with its tab protruding through the opening, all of which is more fully de scribed hereinafter and defined 1n the claims.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a cabinet embodying my invention and containing the paper to be dispensed in position therein; Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the cabinet, looking upward at the bottom; and Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of two sheets of paper suitable for use in the cabinet and to show the manner of folding.

7 designates a suitable cabinet for containing the package of paper from which the sheets may be delivered singly and successively, and wherein the removal ofone sheet causes the next succeeding sheet to partially project from the opening 2 in the bottom of the cabinet, so that it in turn maybe readily taken hold of and with drawn. Thedischarge opening 2 adjacent to the lower end thereof is of substantially the same length as the width of the sheets of paper to be dispensed in order that the latter may be freely removable. At one side of the opening 2 the metal of the cabinet is preferably reversely turned to form a support 3 for one edge of the package of relation to the discharge opening.

The shelf portion f is preferably slightly below the upper edge of the shoulder 3, though this is not essential. The width of the shelf relatively to the width of the cabinet is desirably such as to provide a clearance, below the paper sheet to be dispensed, greater than one-half the width of said cabinet, so as to permit a tab end of paper sheet to sag down into the opening 2 aforesaid. As shown, the shelf l is approximately one-third the width of the cabinet, but this may be varied so long as the sheet may be flexed into discharging position as shown. The shoulder 3 and the parts 4, 5,

have fixed relation when the cabinet is in serving condition, and provide an upwardly flaring space above the opening 2'which facilitates the guidance of the tab ends of the paper towe s or sheets through the opening.

.,The cabinet bodv 7 may be provided with av cover 8, hinged at 18,0r arranged as clo sure in any suitable manner, said cover'act;

ing' as one vertical guide for the sheets" while the bodv 7 actsas the other guide.

Each sheet of paper comprising the package, in the preferred form for use with my inventiom is folded along the median line to form a two-ply sheet, and this sheet may be again folded giving a quadruple ply sheet; said sheet 9 then folded at each end along parallel lines to form tabs .10, the

combined Width of which transversely to the fold is approximately equal to or slightly less than. the width of the cabinet. Preferably, one of the tabs has a width which may be equal to or less than one-half the transverse width of the folded body, and

therefore in forming the tabs both tabs may be equal to one-half the width of the body, or both less than one-half the width of the body, or one greater than one-half the width of the body while the companion tab is less than one-half the width of the body.

lVhile the sheets are shown with tabs 10 on opposite sides of the body 9, this may be varied by having them folded on the same ranged within the cabinet, the superposed sheets form a compact, narrow uniform column, one sheet closely contacting with the other and all substantially horizontal with the exception of the lowermost or bottom sheet, which has one of its tabs 10 projecting throu'ghthe discharge opening 2 while the body part of the sheet rests upon the shelf 4: and inclined portion 5 thereof. The upper tab 10 of the bottom sheet is held. by the superposed sheets of material, in addition to which I employ a weight 11 to insure maintaining the proper pressure upon the package. It will be understood, however, that I do not wish to be limited to a weight as the means of producing the proper pressure upon the package, as it is evident that various equivalent pressure means may be employed for that purpose.

tive sides upon the support 3 and upon the desired times. as the bottom shelf of the cabinet has a por- The sheet next to the bottom sheet is supported at the respecbottom sheet has a portion inclined away from the package; the lower tab 10 of the sheet next to the/bottom is unsupported at its outer end Sand assumes the depending position shown in Fig. 1. The result of this construction is apparent as follows: When the bottom sheet is withdrawn from the package, its upper or innermost tab 10 has a reasons to the bottom of the next sheet above, and consequently diverges or becomes spaced from the 'main portion of its sheet sufficiently to engage or interlock with the depending tab 10 on the sheet next to the. bottom, thereby causing the latter to be drawnin the direction of movement of thesoutgoing bottom sheet so that it in turn assumes the former position of the depending tab of the with v drawn sheet. In this manner the sheets may be successively withdrawn from the package and as one sheet leaves the cabinet its tab interfits with the tab of the next sheet causing the latter to be automatically drawn into projecting position. Another important feature of construction with the drawing of a sheet and its interlocking with the tab of the next sheet, resides in forming a portion .of

the shelf substantially horizontal or in the same parallel plane of the'sheets in that the lateral movement of the sheetupon this portion of the shelf transmits a direct lateral movement to the tab of the sheet which is being Withdrawn. In other words, as the bottom sheet is drawn. out the horizontalv portion thereof tends to shoot the upper tab along the plane of the shelf and into direct engagement with the depending tab of-thenext adjacent sheet.

The pressure of the weight upon the pack age normally maintains the desired tension along the fold lines of the tabsand assists in causing the tabs to spring outward at the It will further be seen that tion' thereof inclined with respect to the normal position of the package that the lower sheet occupies a position partially removed from contact with the sheet above it, thus allowing suflicient clearance for the depending tab while that portion of the sheet which is located upon the horizontal part of the bottom shelf is under pressure of the package and weight and holds the tab under ten- Sion as above described. It will also be seen that the shoulder 3, while supporting the sheet at the folded edge, does notinterfere with the free end 8 of the tab 10 sagging down into engaging position. While the shoulder is shown as integral with the metal of the body 7, it may be otherwise formed.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful'construction which embod es the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown andv described the insane? I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a dispensing cabinet, 9. body of rectangula'r shape having a suitable closure, said cabinet having its bottom formed with an opening extending along the length of the cabinet and close to one side, said opening being bounded on one side by a narrow support. close to one interior Wall of the cabinet and bounded on the other side by an inclined support terminating at its upper end. in a substantially horizontal Wide shelf sufiicient to support the paper package of sheets to be dispensed, and the space between the narrow support and the shelf being greatly wider than the width of the opening between the narrow support and the lower edge of the inclined support.

2. In a dispensing cabinet, a body of rectangular shape having a suitable closure, said cabinet having its bottom formed with an opening extending along the length of the cabinet and close to one side, said opening being bounded on one side by a narrow support close to one interior wall of the cabinet and having its supporting edge considerably above the opening, and bounded on the other side by a bottom plate extending away from the opening and terminating in a wide shelf 4 adjacent to the opposite wall of the cabinet and at a higher elevation than the opening,

the space between the shelf and the support being much greater than the width of the 7 opening in the bottom of the cabinet. 9 In testimony Of FWhiCh invention, I here unto set my hand. I

ERNEST A. HAMILTON. WVitnesses:

' DOROTHY CHERTAK,

E. W. SMITH. 

